The Terminator Reviews

Still a toss-up between The Terminator and Aliens as to which James Cameron picture ranks as his best, this propulsively exciting yarn about a murderous cyborg has long staked its claim as a classic -- science fiction or otherwise -- for the ages.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

Still one of the most harrowing science fiction films in James Cameron's repertoire...

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4

Remains a surprisingly meditative work, its concentrated visceral bursts not unlike punctuation marks among something more brooding, even prayerful.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

Throughout his extraordinary, legend in his own time career, James Cameron has done very little that cannot be legitimately considered well ahead of its time.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

I remain perpetually amazed by how magnificently Cameron keeps the tension up... there is not a single moment that isn't operating at 100%.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10

A cyberpunk picture that flirts with emotional resonance but mostly focuses on the gut...testosterone-fueled, estrogen-boosted action melodrama.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4

A brilliant sci-fi film that cleverly combines strong storytelling with suspense and killer set-pieces.

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James Cameron's fast-paced, downright propulsive directorial sensibilities ensure that there are few lulls within the narrative.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

As for Schwarzenegger, he nicely fleshes out the convention of a soulless gun for hire. With his choppy hair, cryptic shades and state-of-the-'80s leather ensemble, he looks like the Incredible Hulk gone punk.

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An efficient, cold-blooded sci-fi splatter movie that never makes the mistake of forgetting that on some level it is deeply ridiculous.

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"TECH%u2022NOIR" indeed. He's a futuristic machine and this movie is pitch black with menace.

Full Review | Original Score: A

The original and best film from the franchise -- iconic, heady, dark and exciting.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5

It's a work of pulp art to see the future guv of California rip out someone's heart.

Full Review | Original Score: B

Gritty, clever, breathlessly paced, and dynamic despite the dark shadow of doom cast over the story, this sci-fi thriller remains one of the defining American films of the 1980s.

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As a souvenir of a kind of B-grade action cinema that has all but vanished, The Terminator should find a small place in the heart of every movie addict.

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A sci-fi actioner as relentless as its cyborg title character. The megabudget sequels are very good, but the low-budget original is still the best.

| Original Score: 8/10

More than enough violence to make it a profoundly moral film; and Arnold's a whizz.

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Arguably among the very best science-fiction contemporaries.

| Original Score: 5/5

The movie's scares are intense, but the notion that the Terminator would move on to politics is even more frightening.

| Original Score: 5/5

Relentlessly entertaining

| Original Score: 5/5